Peruvian Navy Ship BAP Carvajal (FM-51)

Photo Public Domain US Navy

BAP Carvajal (FM-51) is the first out of four Carvajal class frigates ordered by the Peruvian Navy in 1973. It was built by the Italian shipbuilder Cantieri Navali Riuniti at its shipyard in Riva Trigoso, Genoa. Though sea trials were initiated on June 9, 1977 its commissioning was delayed until December 23, 1979 due to delays in equipment deliveries by some subcontractors. In 1998 her flight deck was extended to allow ASH-3D Sea King helicopters to land and refuel, even though they can't be housed in the ship's hangar.
The Carvajal is named after Vice Admiral Melitón Carvajal (1845-1935) who fought in the War of the Pacific.

I Have Been In The Hospital

Hello my friends, just want to update you all on what has been going on, I have been in the hospital for 30 days so that doctors could take me off of narcotic pain relievers and put me on non-narcotics.  It was a slow and somewhat painful process but I have emerged all the better for the experience.  I was at Hemet Valley Recovery Center in Hemet, Ca. where the specialize on addiction medicine and chronic pain patients.  I loved it their I want to say hats off to the folks working their all the way from Brenda who did the cleaning and made sure all the patients there have clean laundry.  Also the nursing staff there was very professional and had a obvious passion for their job.  Going to a facility like this was a very scary thing for me, because even though I was there for chronic pain and to get off the narcotic pain relievers HVRC also housed other "rehab" patients who where on everything from alcohol and heroin as well as everything between.  Special mention goes to Jackie a CNA there as well as Mellisa who is a RN there at the facility.

As for me I am now doing great, I actually feel better than I have in 10 years and now back home with my wife and son and it sure is wonderful to be back in their arms again. As far as school goes it looks like I have to take this semester off because it started on 24 Jan, the same day I admitted myself in the hospital, getting my health taken care of so I could be here for a long time for my family was more important to me, so my next step will be getting a job for the next 3 months and start school again next semester, if I like what ever job I find then I will request them to take me to part time.

What Is FSH Muscular Dystrophy?

FacioScapuloHumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant type of muscular dystrophy that initially affects muscles of the face (facio), shoulders (scapulo), and upper arms (humeral). A progressive weakening of these skeletal muscles is the hallmark of FSHD, and eventually the degeneration of muscle tissue can spread to the back, legs, and other areas as well. Symptoms may develop in early childhood and are usually noticeable in the teenage years with 95% of affected individuals manifesting disease by age 20. In serious cases, affected individuals become severely disabled and eventually must use a wheelchair. Some of those affected by FSHD are unable to lift their arms for more than a few seconds, and some lose the ability to show any facial expressions and experience serious speech impediments. While FSHD is still very poorly understood, other symptoms can include hearing loss, vision impairment, and abnormal heart rhythms.

At present, FSHD is estimated to affect 7 out of every 100,000 people, or over 21,000 Americans (almost a half million people worldwide), and is the most common form of muscular dystrophy. But the actual prevalence of the disease is likely higher since FSHD is very often misdiagnosed. Approximately two-thirds of cases are inherited, while up to a third of case seem to be the result of spontaneous mutation.
Perhaps more disturbing than what is known about FSHD is what is unknown. Although the DUX4 protein appears to be the initial culprit (see article), the pathophysiology of FSHD is still unknown, and in general a great deal of uncertainty exists given how variable the disease seems to be. Some progress has been made in determining relevant genetic factors, though little is known as to how those factors develop or what the mechanism of their effect is. Perhaps most importantly, no treatments are available at this time, though a few potential treatments are currently being researched.

The above information was taken from Friends Of FSH Page